Automatic lubricator and fluid dispenser



1933- L. s. ELMER 1,934,175

AUTOMATIC LUBRICATOR AND FLUID DISPENSER Filed March 14, 1930 i I2 162% I: I

INVENTOR.

ATYD/Q/VEYS.

Patented Nov. 7, 19 33 AUTOMATIC LUBRICATOR AND DISPENSER FLUID,

Lewis S. Elmer, Baltimore, Md. Application March 14, 1930. Serial No. 435,861

2 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for dispensing predetermined quantities of fluids at certain times and upon certain objects and has particular reference to the lubrication of railway tracks at curves, although the invention may have other applications.

One object of my invention is to provide a device of simple construction and simple operation, to be easily attached to the rails of a railway and protected from interference by other vehicles, to be connected with an ample source of supply of lubricant and which will upon each passage of a car over the tracks at the point where the device is attached, project upon the flange of each wheel a predetermined quantity of lubricant, so that the wheel flange in running over a track curve will spread upon the sides of the rails the necessary lubricant to eliminate friction between wheel flanges and rails.

It is well known that friction between car wheel flanges and rails causes great wear to both of these objects as well as creating objectionable noises, when not well lubricated. Heretofore lubrication has been applied manually at great eX- pense for labor, and inefiiciency because of too great intervals between applications of the lubricant, whereas by use of my invention each car wheel carries to the side of the rail, over which it travels, the correctly predetermined quantity of lubricant and automatically applies same at the points of contact between the flanges and rails, thus eliminating friction, wear and noise.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the entire machine, a portion of the-chamber is cut away to show the interior construction of same; Figure 2, a plan view showing a portion of the railway rail broken away so as to expose the device from above.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout all views.

The car wheel 1, with the flange 2, is shown approaching the plunger tube 4, of the dispenser. The rail 3, is drilled to permit the tube 8, to be attached. Through the tube 8, passes the plunger tube 4, which has attached to it at its lower end the piston 11, and the check valve 12, with the ball 13, seating at 14; below which is the flange forming the recess 16, into which rests the upper end of the spring 15, said spring sitting on the inner base side of the compression chamber 10, said compression chamber 10, being attached at its upper end to the tube 8, and by said tube is held firmly to said rail at its under side as shown.

Attached to the lower end of the compression chamber at its side, by a threaded nipple or otherwise, is the check valve 18, to which is attached the tube 19, connecting with any source of supply of the fluid to be dispensed.

In operation the plunger 4, is depressed by the wheel flange 2, in passing over it. The piston 11, closely fitting to the inner sides of the compression chamber 10, is forced downward by its attached plunger 4, thereby compressing any fluid 5 contained within the portion of the compression chamber below said piston. This compression of any such fluid so contained closes the check valve 18, and as the piston 11, continues to descend forces the said contained fluid upward through 7 the orifice 5, of the tube 4, onto the surface of the wheel flange 2. The flange 2, in rotating conveys or spreads said fluid contained on its surface, to the sides of the grooved rail 3, or in the. cases where two rails are fixed in close parallel posi- 7 tions as tread rail and guard rail, the said fluid or lubricant is deposited upon the adjacent sides of said rails, thereby lubricating them and reducing friction between the flanges of the wheels and the said rails.

After the passage of the wheel flange (or other depressing part, when the said invention is applied to machines or materials other than rails) the spring 15, raises the piston and plunger tube to its normal position, as shown in the drawing. While the piston 11, is rising, the ball 13, falls into the valve seat 14, closing the orifice at 14, of the hollow centre 5, of the plunger 4. The closing of the valve 12, causes the rising piston 11, to create a partial vacuum within the portion of the cham- 93 her 10 belowthe piston 11. This partial vacuum or suction causes the check valve 18, to open and draws the lubricant or fluid into said chamber 10, thereby refilling same. The amount of fluid dispensed may be regulated by the length of the plunger above the bottom of the groove of the rail.

While the invention relates chiefly to the lubrication of railway rails as described, I do not confine its use to this purpose, but it may be applied to distribution of any suitable fluid upon any suitable surface, such as dispensing ink upon presses.

The upper end of the exposed portion of the plunger is lower than and protected by the top surface of the rails.

I claim:

1. A lubricator for railway rails comprising a piston type pump having a hollow vertical combined discharge duct and piston rod, aport for Ll the same suitable to discharge lubricant upon a passing car wheel flange and into a rail groove for distribution therein by the car wheel flange, said pump protectively mounted wholly between the upper and lower rail flanges and suitably attached to the upper flange and beneath a rail groove orifice to be operated by a car wheel flange moving withinthe railigroove and a lubricant supply duct leading from a reservoir. for

lubricant to the pump, and resilient means within said pump for elevating the piston and piston rod to their normal positions.

2. An automatic lubricator tor railway rails capable of discharging lubricant of suitable kind; and quantity upon car wheel flanges and into a rail groove for distribution therein by the wheel; flanges, comprising a pistontype pump having, a

within the pump for returning said piston rod after operation to its normal operative position within the saidgruoved rail orifice and having its upper end protectively below the tread of said rail.

LEWIS S. ELMER. 

